Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about estimated costs for creating a fixed runway on Barra and, in particular, about the costs of (a) tarmac and (b) grass runways.

Lewis Macdonald: A recent report from a private company within the aviation sector estimated that the cost to build a new paved runway at Barra would be £1 million. However, a more extensive study carried out in 1993 by Airport Management Services Ltd, into the possibility of a hard landing strip on either Barra or Vatersay, estimated that the cost would be approximately £6 million.

Alzheimer's Disease

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will recognise World Alzheimer’s Day 2002.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive already provides substantial support to Alzheimer Scotland, the Dementia Services Development Centre, and carers' organisations, and has no special plans to recognise World Alzheimer’s Day 2002 on 21 September.

Audiology

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to phase out analogue hearing aids in favour of digital and programmable aids.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The decision on what type of hearing aid best meets the needs of an individual patient is for the clinician in charge of their care.

  The wide-ranging review of audiology services is on target to report to the Executive by the end of October. The report, which will take account of advances in hearing aid technology, will establish the extent to which the Scottish service needs to undergo modernisation and how best to implement any necessary improvements.

Cancer

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any trials of the breast cancer drug Anastrozole currently taking place in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are aware of three trials involving the drug Arimidex (anastrozole) and Scottish patients. There may be other smaller studies involving this drug, but this information is not available centrally.

  Preliminary results from the largest trial, the ATAC trial (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) have been published. (Information about this trial can be found in The Lancet dated 7 September 2002, Volume 360, pages 790-792). Patients recruited into the other two trials are still being followed up.

Cities

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the deadline is for the publication of the Cities Review.

Ms Margaret Curran: We aim to publish the Cities Review report at the end of October.

Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the task group established to review the licensing provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Peter Peacock: The independent task group issued a consultation paper on its initial findings on 15 July and the closing date for responses is 4 October. Following consideration of the responses received it is anticipated that the task group will report to ministers with its recommendations around the turn of the year.

Civil Servants

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Executive remains committed to the dispersal of government jobs throughout Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: Cabinet discussed this issue yesterday.

  We remain committed to dispersal and we have already taken significant steps to implement this.

  We have located or are currently planning to relocate 650 jobs outwith Edinburgh and of the seven reviews planned, five of these are under way with decisions expected later this year.

Civil Servants

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28005 by Mr Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002, what the reason was for the large number of senior civil servants recruited in 2001-02, giving specific information regarding the reason for the number of heads of division recruited.

Mr Andy Kerr: Twenty-eight senior civil servants (SCS) were recruited during 2001-02 to cover supply and demand arising from retirals, leavers, promotions and the creation of new SCS posts.

  Of the 28, 19 people from both internal and external sources were appointed via one generic recruitment campaign to provide a pool to cover for vacancies arising over the period January 2002 to June 2003.

Concessionary Travel

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is making the public aware of the free off-peak travel scheme for older people and people with disabilities.

Lewis Macdonald: I launched a nationwide advertising campaign at Stirling Bus Station on 10 September to publicise the introduction of free local off-peak concessionary bus travel for elderly and disabled people from 30 September 2002. Posters will appear in and on buses throughout Scotland advising concession card holders of the minimum benefits to which they will be entitled. We will also be placing adverts in local newspapers across the country later in the month. These initiatives will complement guidance and information provided by councils, at a local level, on individual concessionary travel schemes.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what value of sheriff court fines was outstanding on 31 March 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002, in total and broken down by sheriff court.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The values are the total value of imposed fines which have not yet been paid plus any remaining balance on fines which are being paid by instalments. Not all of this will be due to fines in default as a large proportion could be within their valid payment period.

  Outstanding Balance of Sheriff Court Fines as at 31 March, 1998-2002 (£s)

  
 Sheriff Court
1998 1999
2000 2001
2002  Aberdeen
715,614 534,258
457,679 431,656
524,565  Airdrie
334,915 314,660
323,260 340,399
384,256  Alloa
83,285 89,978
79,996 87,803
97,113  Arbroath
132,193 139,521
120,398 115,798
112,063  Ayr
292,726 249,424
238,330 254,193
269,330  Banff
50,604 57,301
45,188 77,973
64,709  Campbeltown
49,700 50,645
44,944 48,201
30,907  Cupar
49,649 40,063
32,478 45,203
42,832  Dingwall
50,205 67,616
60,254 55,253
52,019  Dornoch
24,586 20,671
29,155 27,508
31,985  Dumbarton
241,210 184,739
216,123 201,231
212,324  Dumfries
229,539 244,059
213,127 227,680
200,722  Dundee
378,649 352,420
349,961 372,722
374,870  Dunfermline
352,341 318,609
285,520 258,921
252,694  Dunoon
43,230 34,871
28,690 39,889
41,602  Duns
27,866 22,852
29,290 N/A
59,887  Edinburgh
1,286,803 1,339,710
1,277,953 1,544,831
1,556,178  Elgin
151,612 157,792
198,520 188,274
221,538  Falkirk
352,734 346,135
385,426 402,623
407,634  Forfar
54,865 59,254
58,250 57,802
186,752  Fort william
52,566 49,575
39,828 35,961
42,003  Glasgow
2,041,674 2,026,906
2,178,475 1,926,508
2,053,024  Greenock
181,230 149,364
178,301 182,060
199,091  Haddington
79,123 78,764
91,105 77,317
91,308  Hamilton
717,579 701,142
742,585 641,287
667,649  Inverness
180,068 173,013
165,184 171,331
199,851  Jedburgh
50,275 30,703
40,650 70,461
81,984  Kilmarnock
479,540 582,968
479,524 463,117
509,697  Kirkcaldy
316,731 316,236
264,938 274,792
297,005  Kirkcudbright
71,865 80,268
73,978 55,315
53,293  Kirkwall
35,028 41,943
35,281 38,666
31,349  Lanark
163,839 140,523
127,899 101,119
86,180 
Lerwick 63,315
64,390 38,963
30,374 28,062
 Linlithgow
366,244 336,171
330,036 350,285
310,300 
Lochmaddy 8,290
4,851 2,830
5,572 5,210
 Oban
61,514 47,822
47,763 42,568
42,019 
Paisley 707,034
693,382 587,053
579,736 577,097
 Peebles
11,942 14,480
25,155 15,378
16,907 
Perth 228,498
244,627 217,537
229,480 269,293
 Peterhead
135,177 112,972
87,377 98,281
109,984 
Portree 7,870
9,948 11,258
10,466 5,282
 Rothesay
16,106 11,696
7,482 13,919
11,058 
Selkirk 27,752
36,025 26,329
35,193 63,733
 Stirling
165,007 149,843
109,664 135,943
134,431 
Stonehaven 41,795
40,640 35,680
31,380 31,832
 Stornoway
72,325 39,245
32,993 43,317
38,204 
Stranraer 190,300
170,397 246,409
259,490 246,695
 Tain
72,350 85,062
82,548 82,014
90,179 
Wick 48,495
47,167 49,566
46,786 117,223
 Total
11,495,856 11,104,701
10,830,935 10,826,077
11,533,923

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the impact of (a) the imminent increase in the Small Claims level to £1,500 and Summary Cause level to £5,000 with an increase in representation by party litigants and (b) the proposed Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill on the proposals to remove all civil business from Peebles Sheriff Court, given its commitment in Access to Justice – Beyond the Year 2000 .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  All major new legislation is reviewed to identify resource implications for the Scottish Court Service. The impact of increasing the financial thresholds in small claims and summary causes and the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill would not be expected to affect materially the level of business of the courthouse at Peebles.

Crofters Commission

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in what form the Crofters Commission keeps plans and other legal documentation regarding croft registration on the Register of Crofts and whether there are any proposals that would change this.

Ross Finnie: The Crofters Commission does not keep and is not required to keep plans and other legal documentation regarding croft registration. Section 41 of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 specifies the information to be entered in the Register of Crofts. This consists of:

  The name, location rent and extent of every croft;

  The name of the tenant and the landlord of each croft, and

  Any consent given by a landlord of a croft under section 50(1)(b) of the 1993 Act.

  There are no current plans to change these requirements but chapter 9 of the white paper entitled Crofting Reform Proposals For Legislation seeks views on the possibility of requiring that a plan of a croft should be supplied, to be held on the register, when a croft changes hands.

Crofters Commission

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what access crofters have to plans and other documentation regarding croft registration kept by the Crofters Commission on the Register of Crofts and whether there are any proposals that would change this.

Ross Finnie: Section 41(3) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 requires that the Crofters Commission must provide, on request, an extract of any entry on the Register of Crofts to any person who, in the opinion of the Crofters Commission, has good reason for desiring an extract of that entry. The register does not contain plans.

  Chapter 9 of the white paper entitled Crofting Reform Proposals For Legislation seeks views on proposals to allow full public access to the Register of Crofts and to allow the Crofters Commission to charge for the provision of data from the register.

Crofters Commission

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what access the general public have to plans and other documentation regarding croft registration kept by the Crofters Commission on the Register of Crofts and whether there are any proposals that would change this.

Ross Finnie: The Register of Crofts is an administrative record and does not include plans. There is currently no public right of access to information contained in the Register of Crofts. By virtue of section 41(3) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 the Crofters Commission is required to provide, on request, an extract of any entry on the Register of Crofts to any person who, in the opinion of the Crofters Commission has good reason for desiring an extract of that entry.

  Chapter 9 of the white paper entitled Crofting Reform Proposals for Legislation seeks views on a proposal to allow full public access to the Register of Crofts.

Crofters Commission

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crofters Commission maintains and makes available for public inspection a series of definitive maps detailing the boundaries of all crofts recorded on the Register of Crofts and areas of these crofts which have been decrofted and, if not, whether it has any plans to initiate their production.

Ross Finnie: The Crofters Commission does not currently have any maps detailing the boundaries of all crofts recorded in the Register of Crofts and there are no current plans to create such maps. However, chapter 9 of the white paper entitled Crofting Reform Proposals For Legislation seeks views on the possibility of requiring that a plan of a croft should be supplied, to be held on the register, when a croft changes hands.

Dental Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27547 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 8 August 2002, whether all six- and seven-year-old children registered in deprivation categories 5, 6 and 7 are listed as receiving dental care under the new scheme.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: With reference to my earlier reply, all six and seven year old children registered with a general dental practitioner in deprivation categories 5, 6, and 7 are eligible for dental care under the caries prevention scheme.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27544 by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 August 2002, what action will be taken to ensure that clients seeking help with drug problems do not have to wait several months.

Dr Richard Simpson: The Executive is providing annual funding to NHS boards for drug treatment services of £15 million in 2001-02, £16 million in 2002-03 and over £17.4 million in 2003-04. NHS boards are also free to invest resources from their general hospital and community care allocations for drug treatment services, should local needs assessment determine that this is necessary.

  It is not just a matter of resources, however, but how services are managed and delivered locally. This is a matter for Drug Action Teams (DATs) and local agencies. Action being undertaken by DATs and NHS boards to improve accessibility is included in DAT annual Corporate Action Plans submitted to the Executive. Issues of concern, such as long waiting times for treatment services, are taken up with officials at local level.

  To assist DATs and partner agencies, the Executive’s Effective Interventions Unit will shortly be issuing advice on effective practice in the planning, designing and delivery of integrated drug services. This will include material about good practice in managing treatment services to avoid lengthy waiting times.

  The DAT Corporate Action Plans for this year asked about waiting times for referral to assessment and to programmes of care. However, in addition, ISD Scotland and the National Waiting Times Unit are currently involved in identifying how waiting time information in this area might be improved and better monitored in the future.

Enterprise

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to maintain provision of technology, science and language skills to the economy.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive works closely with the enterprise networks, employer-led former National Training Organisations, emerging Sector Skills Councils, and education and training providers to enhance skills development and increase workforce productivity.

  A Science Strategy for Scotland committed the Executive to ensure that enough people study science to a standard which will enable the future needs of the country to be met. Significant additional funds have been provided by both the Executive and the UK Government, as part of the recent Spending Review, to boost the uptake of science and technology subjects.

Epilepsy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27508 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 August 2002, how many NHS trusts are adhering to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network guidelines on epilepsy.

Malcolm Chisholm: The SIGN guideline on diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults (SIGN Guideline No. 21) was published in November 1997. The guideline is currently under review. An overall survey of progress by NHSScotland in implementing SIGN guidelines was carried out in 2001 by a subgroup of the Clinical Resource and Audit Group (CRAG) and a summary report was published in July of this year. A copy can be found on the CRAG website at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/crag/ . The survey indicates that of the NHS trusts which responded to the epilepsy guideline section of the survey, 77% had either fully or partially implemented the guideline.

  SIGN guidelines represent best evidence in relation to clinical practice. NHS trusts, through their clinical governance arrangements, are expected to review and apply SIGN guidelines in the light of local circumstances and priorities. The adequacy of trusts' clinical governance arrangements is reviewed by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland and is the subject of periodic published reports. However, detailed information about adherence to individual SIGN guidelines (of which there are 60) in each trust area is not gathered centrally by the Clinical Standards Board, or by the department.

European Football Championships

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent communication it has had with the Government of Ireland with regard to the joint Scottish-Irish bid for the European Football Championships in 2008.

Mike Watson: I spoke to John O'Donoghue, Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on 10 September and the First Minister spoke to Bertie Ahern on the same day. Officials are in contact with Irish Government officials on a very regular basis.

Ferry Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in respect of concerns of the community in Dunoon about the proposed restriction of the vehicle ferry service.

Lewis Macdonald: I have listened carefully to concerns expressed at meetings with local elected representatives and with representatives of community councils and other community interests in and around Dunoon. I will meet shortly with representatives of Argyll and Bute Council and the STUC, among others, as part of the consultation on the Draft Service Specification for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services. I will take the views of all these consultees into account, along with written responses to the consultation process, in considering the final form of the service specification after the consultation ends on 27 September.

Forward Scotland

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the objectives of Forward Scotland are.

Ross Finnie: The objectives of Forward Scotland are set out in the company’s Memorandum of Association, as follows:

  Within the context of promoting sustainable development for the benefit of communities across Scotland, the objects of the company are:

  (a) to advance the education of the public – communities, organisations and individuals – in the subject of sustainable development by:

  (i) delivering training in all aspects of the principles of sustainable development;

  (ii) encouraging and providing financial and/or other support for the delivery of practical projects that demonstrate aspects of sustainable development and promote their replication, and

  (iii) collecting and disseminating information and learning, and undertaking research for the benefit of the public, with a view to influencing public policy and the spreading of knowledge of best practice and encouraging its application, in the area of sustainable development.

  (b) to promote and support the conservation, protection, and improvement of the physical and natural environment by:

  (i) improving land and buildings to enable these to make a positive contribution socially, economically, environmentally, or in terms of heritage interest, for the benefit of the local community, and

  (ii) encouraging the better use of resources.

  (c) to advance the education of the public – communities, organisations, and individuals – in all aspects of waste minimisation, waste management and waste recycling.

Forward Scotland

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive who appoints the board members of Forward Scotland and what the selection criteria are.

Ross Finnie: The Chairperson of Forward Scotland is appointed by the Scottish ministers, and the directors are appointed by the chairperson. Current board members have a wide range of backgrounds and interests in sustainable development. Further details can be found on the Forward Scotland website ( www.forward-scotland.org.uk ).

Forward Scotland

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or direction it gives to Forward Scotland in relation to that body’s operations.

Ross Finnie: Forward Scotland are required to submit a draft corporate plan covering the year ahead to the Scottish Executive by the end of April each year.

  The plan is required to set out:

  Forward Scotland’s key objectives and associated key performance targets for the year ahead and its strategy for achieving these objectives, and

  a forecast of expenditure and income. These forecasts should represent Forward Scotland’s best estimate of its available income.

  The main elements of the plan – including the key performance targets – are agreed between the Scottish Executive and Forward Scotland.

  An amended Corporate Plan for 2002-03 was agreed at the board on 6 September and Forward Scotland will place it on their website (www.forward-scotland.org.uk).

  A representative from the Sustainable Development Team attends board meetings as an observer.

Genetically Modified Crops

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken since being advised that GM oil seed rape planted in Scotland has been contaminated with unauthorised seeds supplied by Aventis CropScience Ltd and what further action it proposes to take.

Ross Finnie: On receipt of the information from Aventis, the Scottish Executive and UK Government immediately consulted the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). ACRE were satisfied that the risks posed by the additional GM material were no different to those posed by the GM crop for which consent had already been granted. ACRE also advised that the affected crops should be harvested on a date that would minimise seed shed.

  The Scottish Executive news released this information on 15 August 2002 together with the text of a letter from Aventis (to the Scottish Executive) and ACRE’s advice. Scottish ministers subsequently insisted that independent testing would be required of any seed which Aventis proposed to release. This condition applied to the proposed autumn farm-scale trials in Scotland.

  The Executive’s GM Inspectorate, based at the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, is investigating the circumstances surrounding the presence of unauthorised material in the spring crop and will be compiling a report for possible onward transmission to the procurator fiscal.

Genetically Modified Crops

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to establish whether there has been any contamination with unauthorised seeds at the GM oil seed rape field trial at Wester Friarton, Newport-on-Tay.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no reason to believe that the seed which has been planted at Wester Friarton contained unauthorised material. The seed in question came from a different seed lot to that used to supply to the two affected field trials in Aberdeenshire. The harvested GM crop at Wester Friarton will not enter the human food or animal feed chain; this will be verified by the Executive’s GM Inspectorate.

Genetically Modified Crops

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional safeguards it will put in place to guarantee that unauthorised seeds are not planted in any future GM field trials and whether it will give an assurance that no approvals for future trials will be given without such a guarantee.

Ross Finnie: Ministers sought the strongest possible assurances in relation to the purity of the seed to be planted in the field trials this autumn before allowing the trials to proceed.

  Ministers will continue to seek additional assurances in relation to the purity of Aventis seeds until such time as the company has demonstrated to our satisfaction that their internal quality control systems are working effectively. Ministers have also asked the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) to review current practices around the audit of GM seeds.

Genetically Modified Crops

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first established that GM oil seed rape planted in Scotland had been contaminated with unauthorised seeds supplied by Aventis CropScience Ltd, and when (a) officials and (b) ministers were advised of this contamination.

Ross Finnie: The presence of unauthorised GM material in seed supplied by Aventis was identified following a routine management audit of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) by the Executive’s GM Inspectorate. Initial laboratory tests were inconclusive and it was not until 18 July that the precise nature and extent of the unauthorised material in the SAC crop was known. By that stage, the research plot at SAC had been destroyed as a precautionary measure.

  The GM Inspectorate sought further information about the affected seed lot and on 8 August the Executive received a letter from Aventis indicating that low levels of additional GM material were present in oil seed rape seeds used in farm scale trials. Officials advised me of the contamination of the GM seeds on 8 August.

  The text of the letter from Aventis notifying the Scottish Executive of the details of this incident was attached to the Executive’s News Release dated 15 August 2002.

Glasgow Science Centre

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any future financial support has been committed to the Glasgow Science Centre.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has not committed any future financial support to the Glasgow Science Centre.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the 30-day survival rates are for patients with addresses in Angus being admitted directly to the Coronary Care Unit at Ninewells Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The 30-day survival rate for patients resident in the Angus council area who were admitted directly to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee is presented in the following table.

  These figures illustrate the latest figures held by ISD. At this point in time, more recent figures are not held centrally.

  April 2000 to March 2001

  
 Angus Council Area 
Number of patients 58
 Number of patients who survived at 30 days
49  Survival rate 
(%) 84.5%

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the 30-day survival rates are for patients in Angus receiving paramedic-led thrombolysis from the rapid response unit.

Malcolm Chisholm: Patients who receive paramedic-led thrombolysis from the rapid response unit are transferred by the specialist paramedic crew to the CCU at Ninewells for further specialist supervision and care. At present, information on the 30-day survival rate for these patients is not available.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what parts of Angus are served by the community thrombolysis service.

Malcolm Chisholm: The community thrombolysis service in Angus covers the area of North Angus from north of Forfar, Brechin and Montrose.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring takes place of the community thrombolysis service in Angus.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is an active audit study in place looking at all call outs of the service and outcomes of patients receiving thrombolysis.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heart attack victims in Angus have been sent to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in each of the last 12 months.

Malcolm Chisholm: Accident and emergency at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) say that one patient who is domiciled near to Aberdeen but had a heart attack while in Montrose was admitted to ARI at the discretion of Scottish Ambulance Service.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average ambulance response time is for heart attack victims in Angus that do not receive paramedic-led thrombolysis from the rapid response unit.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average response time is of the paramedic-led community thrombolysis service rapid response unit in Angus.

Malcolm Chisholm: Paramedic-led thrombolysis is not only provided by the rapid/cardiac response unit, which covers the whole of the Angus area, but also by frontline paramedics based at Montrose and Brechin ambulance stations, who cover their respective areas.

  During the period 1 June 2002 to 31 August 2002, a total of 123 patients suffering from chest pains were attended to by the Ambulance Service in Angus. 47 were attended to by an accident and emergency ambulance and received thrombolytic treatment from a paramedic. The average response time for these cases was 7.9 minutes. The remaining 76 patients were attended to by the cardiac response unit whose average response time was 9.3 minutes.

Homelessness

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve the health of homeless people.

Malcolm Chisholm: In October 2000, we announced our intention to prioritise the health of homeless people. To this end we appointed a Health and Homelessness Co-ordinator and issued guidance to NHS Scotland that outlined the requirement to pro-actively address the needs of this greatly disadvantaged group of people. As a result all NHS boards have submitted Health and Homelessness Action Plans which identify the activities they have planned to improve the health of homeless people across Scotland.

  By April 2003 Health and Homelessness Action Plans will also be integrated into Local Authorities’ Homelessness Strategies, which will ensure full NHS Scotland involvement in overall developments to tackle homelessness in Scotland.

  The Health and Homelessness Co-ordinator and Health and Homelessness Steering Group are monitoring the delivery of these activities, and I am following progress with interest.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been committed to prison for non-payment of fines over the last six months for which figures are available.

Dr Richard Simpson: The provisional number of prison receptions for fine default in the first six months of 2002 was 3,631.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances a legally unqualified person can appear on behalf of another person in legal proceedings, broken down by criminal and civil court.

Mr Jim Wallace: In terms of both the civil and criminal courts, the only persons who are generally permitted to appear and conduct cases are members of the Faculty of Advocates, solicitor advocates or solicitors and parties who are natural persons (party litigants). In general solicitors are only able to appear before the district court and the sheriff court, except for solicitor advocates who have acquired rights of audience in the supreme courts.

  There are some exceptions. As regards civil proceedings:

  In respect of small claims actions an authorised lay representative may in representing a party do everything for the preparation and conduct of a small claim as may be done by an individual conducting his own claim. (Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971, section 36 and related rules of court).

  Section 97 of the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 and related rules of court entitles a party to any proceedings under the act to be represented by a person other than an advocate or a solicitor, if the sheriff is satisfied that such a person is a suitable representative and is duly authorised to represent the party.

  As regards criminal proceedings:

  At the first diet in summary proceedings where the accused is not present, a person (who is not an advocate or solicitor) who satisfies the court that he is authorised by the accused may tender a plea of guilty or not guilty on behalf of the accused (section 144(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995)

  In addition, under section 4(2) of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976 any person entitled to appear at an inquiry may appear on his own behalf or be represented by an advocate or a solicitor or, with the leave of the sheriff by any other person.

Legislation

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to adopt the principles of the Environmental Audit (No.2) Bill into Scots law, in particular by giving to the Auditor General for Scotland the role proposed for the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of the environment.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no such plans.

Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26602 by Mrs Elish Angiolini QC on 30 July 2002, how many of the reports sent to procurators fiscal under sections 68(1), (2), (3), (5), 69(1), (2) and 70(1) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 were proceeded with in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The number of cases containing a charge under sections 68 and 69 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 reported to the procurator fiscal in each of the last three years, and broken down into sheriff court district, can be found in the tables. As stated in the answer given to question S1W-26602, no reports were sent to the procurator fiscal in respect of section 70 (1) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976.

  Reports to PF in which Proceedings Taken Under Sections 68(1), (2), (3), (5), 69(1), (2) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976:

  
 Procurator Fiscal
1999-2000 2000-01
2001-02 Grand 
Total  Aberdeen
3 7
5 15
 Airdrie
3 1
2 6
 Alloa
3 2
4 9
 Arbroath
6 5
11  Ayr
3 8
8 19
 Banff
4 1
5  Campbeltown
5 3
5 13
 Cupar
1 1
 Dingwall
1 2
4 7
 Dumbarton
3 2
4 9
 Dumfries
1 2
2 5
 Dundee
6 10
20 36
 Dunfermline
7 3
5 15
 Dunoon
3 2
2 7
 Duns
1 2
2 5
 Edinburgh
5 4
7 16
 Elgin
2 5
3 10
 Falkirk
3
14 17
 Forfar
2 1
3  Fort 
William 8
2 1
11  Glasgow
26 29
25 80
 Greenock
1 4
3 8
 Haddington
1 4
9 14
 Hamilton
8 3
1 12
 Inverness
3 4
11 18
 Jedburgh
2 5
2 9
 Kilmarnock
8 4
6 18
 Kirkcaldy
1
1  Kirkcudbright
2
2  Kirkwall
2 3
2 7
 Lanark
4 5
6 15
 Lerwick
2 2
1 5
 Linlithgow
4 2
6 12
 Lochmaddy
1
1  Oban
7 4
1 12
 Paisley
2 4
3 9
 Peebles
2
2  Perth
3 1
2 6
 Peterhead
2
2  Portree
3 2
1 6
 Selkirk
1 1
4 6
 Stirling
4 1
1 6
 Stonehaven
2 1
3 6
 Stornoway
2
2  Stranraer
1 1
2  Tain
3 4
1 8
 Wick
5 1
1 7
 Grand Total
160 151
185 496


  The figures are based on the procurator fiscal decision in respect of the first accused and the first charge for which data were extracted.

Lifelong Learning

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in extending lifelong learning to all age groups, with particular regard to the over-60s.

Iain Gray: The total number of students in all age bands, including the over 60s, in tertiary education in Scotland, has increased each year since 1994.

  We are working with Scotland’s older people to ensure they have the information they need to access learning opportunities, through various publications such as the Pensioners’ Guide, the newsletter AGEnda for the over 50s, and a new website. This is in addition to information available through learndirect scotland.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons can be learned from the report by the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, Renaissance in the Regions: a new vision for England's museums , and how any such lessons could be applied to Scotland.

Dr Elaine Murray: The recent findings of important work in England, for example, the Renaissance in the Regions report and the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Needs Assessment (UK based) are wholly consistent with the findings of the National Audit of Scotland's Museums and Galleries.

  In Scotland, the framework/action plan will be developed through wide consultation, which was announced on 9 September, with all interested bodies including national and non-national museums.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned research on the economic, social or educational impact of museums and galleries and, if so, what the key conclusions were.

Dr Elaine Murray: Museum and Social Justice published by the Scottish Museums Council in December 2000 identifies the contribution of museums to the social justice agenda. The Executive has not commissioned research in the other areas mentioned.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned research to quantify the contribution of museums and galleries to tourism and, if so, what the key conclusions were.

Dr Elaine Murray: The important contribution of Scotland’s museums and galleries to tourism is recognised in the VisitScotland’s Tourism Framework for Action and in the Report of the National Audit of Scotland’s Museums and Galleries. The latter shows that in 2000 there were over 13.5 million visits to Scotland’s 435 museum sites.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward work on the action plan for Scotland's museums announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 10 July 2002.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Executive initiated a three-month consultation on the findings of the National Audit of Scotland's Museums and Galleries on the 9 September. The consultation process will include a seminar organised by the Scottish Museums Council on 4 November. Information submitted during this period will inform the creation of an action plan, to be published in spring 2003, providing a framework for the development of the museums and galleries sector in Scotland.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its consultation paper on the action plan for Scotland's museums, announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 10 July 2002, for the consultation originally scheduled to commence in August 2002.

Dr Elaine Murray: The consultation paper on the action plan for Scotland's museums was published on 6 September 2002. The deadline for submissions and the closure of the consultation period is now 6 December 2002.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provided to museums and galleries in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 expressed per capita and as compared with other parts of the United Kingdom.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive does not provide direct funding to non-national museums and galleries in Scotland. The Executive is responsible only for the National Institutions. Funding to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland for 1999-2000 to 2001-02 is shown in the following table.

  
 Funding (£m)
1999-2000 2000-01
2001-02 2002-03
 National Galleries of Scotland
10,085 11.185
12.535 12.285
 National Museums of Scotland
13,291 14.427
17.177 17.477


  These amounts include revenue and capital funding.

  Funding is also provided for the Scottish Museums Council as shown:

  Scottish Museums Council

   
1999-2000 2000-01
2001-02  Funding 
(£m) 0.941
0.941 1.041 
Strategic Change Fund (£m)  
0.5 

  This information is not available per capita.

  In addition in March 2002 in connection with the refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Gallery by Glasgow City Council the Executive made an exceptional one off payment of £3 million to Glasgow’s Museum Service including £1 million specifically identified for the Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal Trust.

  The responsibility for funding local museums and galleries lies with local authorities through their GAE allocation.

  The Scottish Executive does not hold information on funding for museums and galleries in other parts of the United Kingdom.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA about the contribution that museums and galleries make to education.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Joint Implementation Group for the Cultural Strategy is chaired by Mike Watson and its membership includes COSLA. At its second meeting in January this year it reviewed a wide range of issues relating to education including the contribution of museums and galleries.

  More detailed guidance on that contribution will be included in draft guidance for local authorities on their responsibilities in the cultural area and on their contribution to the implementation of the National Cultural Strategy. That guidance has been prepared by a joint Scottish Executive/COSLA working group and will issue in draft form for comment shortly.

  COSLA, Scottish Museums Council, Scottish Arts Council, National Museums of Scotland and National Galleries of Scotland collaborated on a joint conference in October 2001 - The Learning Power of Museums in Scotland. Conference proceedings were subsequently published in July 2002 and submitted to the Executive to inform the National Debate on Education.

  Detailed discussions on the education role and contribution of museums are being taken forward by the Group on Education in Museums.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support it provided to museums and galleries in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and how much it is providing in 2002-03, broken down by type of museum and gallery.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its total expenditure on museums and galleries was in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 and will be in 2002-03, broken down by type of museum and gallery.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive does not provide direct funding to non-national museums and galleries in Scotland. The Executive is responsible only for the National Institutions. Funding to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland for 1999-2000 to 2001-02 is shown in the following table.

   
Funding (£m) 1999-2000
2000-01 2001-02
2002-03  National 
Galleries of Scotland 10,085
11.185 12.535
12.285  National 
Museums of Scotland 13,291
14.427 17.177
17.477 

  Note:

  These amounts include revenue and capital funding.

  Funding is also provided for the Scottish Museums Council as shown:

  Scottish Museums Council

  
  1999-2000
2000-01 2001-02
2002-03  Funding 
(£m) 0.941
0.941 1.041
1.191  Strategic 
Change Fund  
0.5 1.0


  Of the strategic change fund £420,000 in each year is allocated to the support package for the three industrial museums.

  In addition, the Scottish Maritime Museum received emergency funds of £90,000 in 2000-01 and £110,000 in 2001-02 and £30,000 in 2002-03.

  In addition, in March 2002 in connection with the refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Gallery by Glasgow City Council the Executive made an exceptional one off payment of £3 million to Glasgow’s Museum Service including £1 million specifically identified for the Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal Trust.

Museums and Galleries

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to continue the £1.5 million Strategic Change Fund beyond 2004 and, if so, whether it will increase the funding available.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to continue the £3 million fund for the restructuring of museums, provided through the National Culture Strategy, beyond 2003 and, if so, whether it will increase the funding available.

Dr Elaine Murray: The future of the fund will be decided in the light of the consultation on the framework and plan for museums launched by Mike Watson on 9 September.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the yes/no blood test developed by the biotechnological concern RED for the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME and whether the test will be made available through the NHS.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive understands that R.E.D. Laboratories, which are based in Belgium, describe the test as the FASTest (Fragmented Actin Serum Test), and state that the results should be used in conjunction with all other relevant clinical data before making a diagnosis. There are no plans to make the test available through the NHS.

National Parks

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of submissions made to the consultation exercise on the draft designation order for the proposed Cairngorms National Park, it will now widen the proposed boundaries and, if so, whether it will undertake a new consultation exercise on such new boundaries.

Allan Wilson: The consultation exercise into our proposals to establish a national park in the Cairngorms area has only recently finished. The responses are now being reviewed. We hope to complete that process shortly and will then bring forward a draft designation order for Parliamentary consideration.

Police

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to monitor the level of spending on overtime by police forces.

Dr Richard Simpson: Information on spending on overtime by forces is contained in the annual financial returns which police forces make to the Executive.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing levels have been at HM Prison and Young Offenders' Institute Cornton Vale in each quarter in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03 to date, expressed as a percentage of the full staff complement.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The readily available information is shown in the following table.

  
 Date
Staff in Post %
 1 April 1999
250 102
 1 August 1999
247 100
 1 December 1999
246 99
 1 April 2000
246 99
 1 August 2000
248 100
 1 December 2000
245 99
 1 April 2001
239 97
 1 August 2001
244 99
 1 December 2001
254 99
 1 April 2002
278 107
 1 August 2002
269 103

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24348 by Mr Jim Wallace on 26 August 2002, whether it receives information from the operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock on staffing.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There is a requirement for Prisoner Custody Officers employed within HM Prison Kilmarnock to be licensed before taking up duty. We receive staffing information from the contractor to enable us to carry out this function. We also approve the director.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27913 by Mr Jim Wallace on 22 August 2002, why the grade of staff is not a relevant consideration for the cost of staff.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Because the model in question is a cost model and therefore used the cost of staff rather than grades of staff.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20325 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001, what evidence it can provide that its contract with Medacs for medical services in prisons provides best value if it will not publish the cost of the contract for medical services.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The procurement was a competitive one. The proposals by Medacs were considered alongside others submitted and demonstrated to SPS as the customer, that it was best value in terms of quality and cost.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20325 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001, why the cost of the contract for medical services provided by Medacs is commercially confidential.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  To enable SPS to maximise best value for money for the taxpayer both in relation to the negotiations for the present contract and so as not to prejudice commercial competitiveness during future contract negotiations.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28180 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 August 2002, how the cost of answering question S1W-25568 was calculated and whether it will give a precise definition of the meaning given in this calculation to the terms "direct cost" and "opportunity cost".

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The cost was not calculated as this would itself have incurred considerable expenditure. The cost was guesstimated and the answer therefore said that the cost "could", not would, be around £1,000.

  The direct costs are those which would have been involved in undertaking the work. The opportunity cost is the value of the output which would have been foregone because of the diversion of resources in order to undertake the work.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what quality indicators it uses to measure the performance of Medacs in delivering medical services in prisons.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-28224 on 2 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Publishing

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the full range of books published in Scotland is available to libraries and retail outlets and what the position of Scottish Enterprise is in regard to the supply of books published by the Scottish book trade to libraries and retail outlets.

Dr Elaine Murray: Each local authority is responsible for its own library service, and for determining the level of resources allocated for this service. This includes the purchasing of books. Supply to retail outlets is a commercial issue between the publishers and the retailers.

  Scottish Enterprise has participated in a joint printing programme with the Scottish Arts Council to support new developments in the distribution of printed publications. There are no other plans for a programme to support publishing in Scotland.

Publishing

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what connection it makes between the success of the publishing sector and a vigorous and outward-looking Scottish culture and what actions are being taken within the framework of the National Cultural Strategy in respect of any such connection.

Dr Elaine Murray: Scotland's publishing and literary sectors have always been central to the external perception of Scotland. The National Cultural Strategy recognises this and the Executive is working with the Scottish Arts Council and the National Library of Scotland to build on this proud inheritance. The Scottish Arts Council currently supports the Scottish Publishers Association through a grant of £114,000 each year; 16 literary magazines throughout Scotland are supported to a total of £100,000 per year; £130,000 is disbursed annually to established and emergent writers and over 60 grants are awarded annually in the Grants to Publications scheme with a budget of £100,000 in 2002-03.

Renewable Energy

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to promote offshore wind farms.

Ross Finnie: The Renewables Obligation Scotland operates to promote the development of all renewables technologies. The Government’s three year programme to support renewable technologies provides £64 million of capital grants and £10 million from the New Opportunities Fund for the development of offshore wind.

Road Safety

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is educating children about road safety.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign to enable it to produce road safety education resources aimed at children of all ages. The campaign is developing and implementing a strategy for road safety education in Scottish schools at all stages of education, from pre-school to upper secondary school, including special educational needs. The main aim is to ensure that there is a core curriculum of road safety taught to all children in Scotland.

  As part of the Campaign’s Theatre in Education programme, a number of plays aimed at different age groups tour schools throughout Scotland each year. The Campaign’s website includes an area specifically for 8 to 13 year old children, which is designed to convey road safety messages in a fun way.

  On 10 September the campaign launched a national Junior Road Safety Officer scheme, in which senior primary school pupils, supported by local authority or police Road Safety Officers, are appointed to raise awareness of road safety issues among other pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community.

  The Scottish Executive is providing funding, totalling £810,000 over six years, for selected schemes, implemented by local authorities, to train five- and six-year-olds in practical road safety skills. Priority is being given to schemes in disadvantaged areas. The first three successful authorities were announced in January. The second bidding round was launched in June.

  The Scottish Executive also funds the Children’s Traffic Club in Scotland, which offers free road safety education to all three and four year old children in Scotland.

Roads

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what increase on current traffic flows is built into the traffic flow design figures for the proposed Glasgow southern orbital junction with the M77.

Lewis Macdonald: The present and predicted hourly traffic volumes in the year 2020, taken as the design year for this scheme, were given in the answers to questions S1W-28403 and S1W-28404 on 10 September 2002. North of the proposed junction with the Glasgow Southern Orbital route the increases are approximately 1,000 vehicles and 700 vehicles respectively for the morning and evening peak hours. South of the junction traffic to and from the Glasgow Southern Orbital will add to this flow and the increases are 2,800 and 2,350 vehicles in the peak hours.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of ministers’ and deputy ministers’ ministerial diaries.

Mr Jack McConnell: No.

Speed Limits

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to introduce 20 mph speed limits outside schools.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is providing additional resources to local authorities, totalling nearly £22 million over the period 2000 to 2004, for Safer Routes to School and Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects. Local authorities can use these resources to introduce measures such as 20 mph speed limits outside schools.

Water Safety

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the criteria will be finalised for allocating the £50 million to enhance existing plans to improve waste water treatment; what the key criteria are likely to be; what the relative weighting of such criteria will be, and what opportunity there will be for communities affected to have input to the process.

Ross Finnie: The £50 million referred to in Quality and Standards 2 (Bib. number 15676) has been allocated to help ease constraints on new development and to help with first time sewerage in rural areas.

  Scottish Water is currently conducting a thorough survey of their network, with a view to understanding the scale of the development constraints problem and its implications. Clearly, this work will enable them to take an informed view of their investment priorities across the board, and to make appropriate decisions. I understand this work has been finalised. It will be shared with the Executive, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Water Industry Commissionaire, and with local authorities and the construction industry.

  In these circumstances, I am not in a position to comment on what the key criteria for allocation might be. I would, however, expect the current legislative priorities relating to public health and the environment to be considerations.

  In terms of consultation, I would expect Scottish Water to continue - as they do at present - to consult affected communities about any plans they may have for improvements to or construction of water and/or waste water treatment facilities. This would in any case be a requirement under planning legislation.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what actions are being taken to minimise the risk from cryptosporidium in the public water supply in the greater Glasgow area in the period until a new water treatment plant can be commissioned.

Ross Finnie: Until a new water treatment plant is commissioned, the public in Glasgow remains at risk from cryptosporidium in the water supply. To minimise this risk, Scottish Water has reduced the number of sheep grazing on the land owned by Scottish Water around Loch Katrine and all sheep owned by Scottish Water will be off the catchment by the middle of this month. It is because of this risk that continual monitoring takes place. However, cryptosporidium is ubiquitous in the environment and can be carried by wild animals as well as farm animals.

  Scottish Water is also constructing a pipeline to bring treated water from Balmore water treatment works into the Glasgow area. This will have the effect of reducing the size of the population exposed to the risk from cryptosporidium by about 90,000 people.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for the implementation of the recommendations arising from reports by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator, Water Industry Commissioner, Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies, Incident Control Teams and Ad Hoc Group of Ministers concerning the Glasgow water incident.

Ross Finnie: The report of the Ad Hoc Group Of Ministers contains eight recommendations. They will be implemented by a number of bodies, including Scottish Water, NHS boards, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator and the Scottish Executive.

  Similarly, the various other reports can be expected to identify the bodies responsible for implementing specific recommendations. The Ad Hoc Group of Ministers concluded that where recommendations are made by an Incident or Outbreak Control Team, copies of the team’s report should be sent routinely to the Scottish Executive. Mechanisms should also be introduced to ensure that such recommendations are given due consideration by the agencies to which they are directed. The Scottish Executive should be informed of action taken (or not) in response to the recommendations.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ascertained the cause of the cryptosporidiosis outbreak in the greater Glasgow area in early August 2002.

Ross Finnie: There was no outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Glasgow in August 2002. The monitoring system detected increased levels of cryptosporidium in the public water supply and precautionary advice was issued to boil the water before use. This precautionary advice may have prevented an outbreak.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26583 by Ross Finnie on 24 June 2002, what evidence from water treatment plants throughout the United Kingdom that use the same technology as that proposed for the new water treatment plant at Milngavie can be provided on their effectiveness for cryptosporidium removal.

Ross Finnie: The answer given to question S1W-26583 pointed out that the effectiveness of the treatment process proposed for Milngavie, like all treatment processes, was dependent on the monitoring and control regimes put in place, but that Scottish Water planned to operate the new works in accordance with industry best practice.

  The proposed process is similar to the process used at the Balmore water treatment works which treats Loch Lomond water successfully. The process is used widely for the treatment of upland waters typical in Scotland and other similar parts of the United Kingdom e.g. Watchgate in Manchester. The suitability of the process for Loch Katrine water, including its ability to remove cryptosporidium sized particles, has been proved in extensive and independently verified pilot plant trials.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Water complied with the provisions of section 17(6)(a) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 during the recent outbreak of cryptosporidium in the Glasgow area

Ross Finnie: Regulation 17 of the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations does not come into force until 25 December 2003. There is no equivalent provision in the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.